1. To God. I observe that there was a kind of Ransom that every Man was to give for his Soul; Exod. 30.12, 13, 14, 15. When thou takest the Sum of the Children of Israel after their Number, then they shall give every Man a Ransom for his Soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no Plague amongst them, when thou numberest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a Shekel after the Shekel of the Sanctuary; an half Shekel shall be the Offering of the Lord. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered from twenty Years old and upward, shall give an Offering to the Lord. The Rich shall not give more, and the Poor shall not give less than half a Shekel, when they give an Offering unto the Lord, to make an Atonement for your Souls. Whenever they were numbered by Head and by Pole, that the Plague might not break out among them, they were to give a Ransom for their Souls; which showed that all our Souls were forfeited by Sin to God, and it was in God's Power to take them when he pleased; therefore every Man was to give this Acknowledgement. And some conceive the Plague which fell out in David's time for numbering the People, was for want of giving this Ransom to God. Now the Poor and Rich were both to give equally the same Ransom, the Poor to give no less, and the Rich no more, viz. half a Shekel, to show that all Souls before God are equal, the Debt was equal, and that the Price of Christ's Blood was equal. We were all forfeited to God, but all the Elect have an Interest in the same Redeemer: This will somewhat explain the Mystery.
1. To God. I observe that there was a kind of Ransom that every Man was to give for his Soul; Exod. 30.12, 13, 14, 15. When thou takest the Sum of the Children of Israel after their Number, then they shall give every Man a Ransom for his Soul unto the Lord, when thou numbrest them; that there be no Plague amongst them, when thou numbrest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbred, half a Shekel after the Shekel of the Sanctuary; an half Shekel shall be the Offering of the Lord. Every one that passeth among them that are numbred from twenty Years old and upward, shall give an Offering to the Lord. The Rich shall not give more, and the Poor shall not give less than half a Shekel, when they give an Offering unto the Lord, to make an Atonement for your Souls. Whenever they were numbred by Head and by Pole, that the Plague might not break out among them, they were to give a Ransom for their Souls; which shewed that all our Souls were forfeited by Sin to God, and it was in God's Power to take them when he pleased; therefore every Man was to give this Acknowledgment. And some conceive the Plague which fell out in David's time for numbring the People, was for want of giving this Ransom to God. Now the Poor and Rich were both to give equally the same Ransom, the Poor to give no less, and the Rich no more, viz. half a Shekel, to shew that all Souls before God are equal, the Debt was equal, and that the Price of Christ's Blood was equal. We were all forfeited to God, but all the Elect have an Interest in the same Redeemer: This will somewhat explain the Mystery.
